Upcoming poetry reading Choupinette, second-hand store with a handmade twist
On Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021, at 4 p.m., the Centre des arts de Stanstead will welcome poets Stephanie Bolster and Ehab Lotayef to read from their work on Zoom, with host Shelley Pomerance.
Stephanie Bolster has published four books of poetry, the most recent of which,
A Page from the Wonders of Life on Earth, was a finalist for the Pat Lowther Award. Work from her current manuscript,
Long Exposure, was a finalist for the CBC Poetry Prize in 2012 and 2019. Her first book, White Stone: The Alice Poems, won the Governor General’s Award and the Gerald Lampert Award in 1998 and was translated into French (Pierre Blanche).
Ehab Lotayef is a Canadian IT Manager, poet, writer, and community activist of Egyptian origin. He has published a bilingual poetry collection, To Love a Palestinian Woman (TSAR 2010), and the CBC produced his play Crossing Gibraltar in 2006. His work also appears in many a nthologies and zines, and over the years he has written op-eds on various subjects for a number of Canadian papers.
All are invited to join us on Zoom. For the link to participate, please visit the Centre des arts de Stanstead’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ Centreartsstanstead.
In the midst of the pandemic, Katherine Andrade decided it was time for a change. Her plans to open a thrift shop quickly evolved into something surprising, an outlet for an expanding network of Quebec artisans and handmade products.
Andrade and her spouse Yannick Pellerin had been working together for Pellerin’s online site promoting deals at restaurants and stores in about a hundred cities in eight regions across the province. “Everything with a storefront was a potential client for us,” Andrade says.
“Of course, during the pandemic, restaurants, stores and everything was hard hit,” Andrade remembers. “With both of us in the same field it wasn’t ideal and my spouse said, ‘You know, I’ve always wanted to open a thrift store.’”
At first Andrade’s plan was to open
children’s thrift shop, and she began developing a presence on social media while waiting for pandemic restrictions on retail to be relaxed. When the government announced reduced controls on in-store shopping, she signed a lease and Choupinette officially opened on Sept. 11 a few doors down from an elementary school on Alexandre Street.
“Unofficially, we had already opened in August. But it was so hot!” Andrade laughs. “Our first clients were family and friends, to be honest.” Quickly, her
marketing and networking instincts from other ventures put a distinct twist on Andrade’s new second-hand store.
“We are the fifth thrift shop for children and every one offers the same products. So ,we said, well, let’s find about ten artisans so people we come to the store,” Andrade recounts. “And those ten turned into twenty, and then thirty.”
“And, now we’re at 97,” she marvels. “Our youngest is eight years old, from here in Sherbrooke. And the eldest is 92. I should be receiving her slippers today or tomorrow.”
Everything is handmade in Quebec, with a wide range of products including natural beauty products, bath products, make-up, products for men, candles, tisanes, pralines, biscottes, maple syrup, and grow-withme clothing that resizes as children grow.
The handmade goods have rapidly grown to represent the majority of sales. Andrade’s clients are coming from all around the Townships, plus a significant afternoon rush of parents picking up children from the neighbouring school.
Gifts represent a portion of her early demand, but Andrade points to consumables as a significant driver, “We do have articles that people have to use on a daily basis. We have shampoo, we have conditioner, we have deodorants. And the beauty products, exfoliants and stuff like that where people re-use.”
For Andrade, the biggest surprise so far may be the influence on her own mentality as a consumer. “You know how you just recycle whatever you have at home and don’t necessarily take into consideration the impact that it might have… until you open a box of handmade make-up remover pads, for example, and you use reusables instead of ones you just put in the garbage and only use once. It is a change of mind.”
Andrade has products from several local makers but also from as far away as Rimouski, Baie-comeau, Laurentides, Outaouais, Montreal, and the South Shore. “From everywhere,” Andrade exclaims.
Everything is sold on consignment. “It’s a partnership,” says Andrade. “If I sell, they sell. If one makes money, the other one makes money.”
Andrade has found most of her artisans online through Etsy. If she gets a good feeling about their product photos or logo, she reaches out. “It is rare that anyone says no right off the bat on the first call.”
Andrade does not expect a minimum or maximum first delivery from new partners. “The artisans pretty much decide. But if they say ‘I’ll send one of each,’ I let them know the fuller their space looks the more it will sell.” In those cases, Andrade contacts them after their first sales so they can decide whether to send a more sooner than later.
Expanding her network has been largely predicated on building relationships. “I think it is about having chemistry over the phone,” Andrade explains. “It’s a lot on faith, however the contract lets them know when I send out my sales reports and how the transfer of their portion of the money works.”
Andrade thinks a professional contract is a key component of establishing trust, “I have a solid contract that was written by a lawyer here in Sherbrooke.”
“Some of them I’ve never met, so we keep in touch by phone or by video. I start my relationships on good basis and make sure it stays good so the artisan has a good experience.”
Andrade is currently working to bring in the last of her holiday stock. “I’m still waiting on ten artisans. Not that there’s a cut-off date but I said if you want to be part of the Christmas season then Dec. 1 is the latest to send in your stuff. Then I won’t be soliciting any new artisans, because it’s going to be a busy month.”
Starting in January, Andrade hopes to expand to offer online sales as well. Since first opening her Facebook group months before signing a retail lease, Andrade has been promoting the individual Etsy pages of her curated artisans. Next, she wants to start selling through her own online portals as well. “The artisans have let me know that’s an ok thing to do for them.”
“What comes after that would be to change our locale for something bigger. Not right now. In two years, three years maybe,” Andrade muses. “One step at a time. One step at a time, and everything is thought out before a new decision is made.”